Doro Soul – new restaurant from Mélange’s Chef Elias Taddesse will feature Ethiopian-style fried chicken and more

1819 7th Street, NW

From a press release:

“Michelin-starred Chef Elias Taddesse, executive chef and owner of DC’s acclaimed Mélange restaurant, is opening a new restaurant concept this fall in Shaw featuring Ethiopian-style fried chicken.

Doro Soul Food infuses traditional American soul food with Ethiopian flavors.

The restaurant will offer takeout and delivery from 1819 7th Street, NW, blocks from Howard University.

Along with his award-winning burgers, Ethiopian-born, French-trained Chef Taddesse is renowned for his wildly popular fried chicken sandwiches seasoned with Ethiopian spices, such as “The National,” his take on Ethiopia’s national dish, doro wat.

Doro Soul Food will take that concept further with a menu of bone-in fried and char-grilled chicken and chicken sandwiches. Spice levels for the fried chicken will range from mild (naked) to hot (berbere), to very hot (mit mita) with the hotter versions bathed in the chef’s own hot sauces. The restaurant will also feature fried chicken-style vegan tenders and sandwiches made from jackfruit and pea protein.

Sides will highlight his take on iconic “soul food” side dishes like black cumin qibe-drenched cornbread, collard greens braised with smoked turkey and Ethiopian spices, and doro wat spiced macaroni & cheese sprinkled with injera and bread crumbs.

Doro Soul Food is Chef Taddesse’s second restaurant concept in Washington, DC. Mélange, best known for its award-winning burgers, started as a pop-up at Wet Dog Tavern in early 2017 before opening as a brick-and-mortar restaurant in DC’s Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood two years ago.

Chef Taddesse is a rising star in the Washington restaurant scene. Since launching Mélange two years ago, he was named a finalist for the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s RAMMYs Rising Culinary Star of the Year 2022, and Eater DC’s Chef of the Year in 2021.”